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Caius d'al Cazarosta
Sir Caius d'al Cazarosta is an officer of the Royal Dragoons, and one of the first characters the protagonist meets in Sabres of Infinity. As a Deathborn, he is one of the few Baneless characters to hold an officer's commission in the Tierran Army - the others being Cedric Lewes, and unnamed officers of the Experimentals. Personality Cazarosta initially comes across as cold and blunt, being rude to the Dragoon Officer, openly insulting Elson, and generally showing little regard for the feelings of the people he is conversing with. But he will eventually open up, if enough time is spent with him. As the years go on, Cazarosta eventually learns to conceal his hostile demeanor, and to instead speak more like a baneblooded gentleman. This makes other officers more tolerant of his presence, but by his own admission it is nothing more than a mask. Deep down he still retains the same cold and ruthless personality from his time at Fernandescourt, and it has only gotten worse as the war progressed. He is a sociopath; he has no empathy for other human beings, and all life is expendable to him, save for a few individuals he has learned to trust. It is unknown if a Dragoon Officer who attempts to befriend him is one of them. Cazarosta is also deeply religious, even more so than most who worship in the Saints of the Mersdonian Rite. He believes that the Saints guide and control everything, and that free will is an illusion. This is likely a coping mechanism to deal with the lack of power he has over his own place in life and society. He spends much of his time in prayer, and has zero tolerance for the Ascensionist Rite, which he believes to be heresy. Biography Early Life Caius is the illegitimate son of the Countess of Leoniscourt, a M'hidyos noblewoman of currently unknown origin. His Deathborn status led to his mother being accused of adultery, and at the age of four he was forced to watch her execution. Despite this, the Earl of Leoniscourt adopted Caius into his household. Caius was allowed to retain the Cazarosta name, and was given education and training befitting the son of a wealthy noble. This led to a somewhat jarring upbringing: while Caius held a position of honour as the Earl's adopted son, as a Baneless he would never inherit Leoniscourt, and as a Deathborn he was an object of scorn and distrust. Despite his charity, the Earl was an absent figure for most of Caius's life, which led to him spending a great deal of time praying at the Shrine and reading religious texts, presumably in an attempt to find some greater meaning behind life. He became fanatically religious as a result; a fervent believer in the Mersdonian Rite. Caius trained under Leoniscourt's Master-at-Arms; a Callindrian Swordmaster who is rumoured to have killed an Imperial Intelligence Commando, likely during the Callindrian Incident. Because of this, it is little surprise that Caius himself became a master swordsman. The Earl would eventually remarry and produce a legitimate child, Lady Katarina. Caius and Katarina had a close relationship with each other, likely due to the abuse they both endured at the hands of Katarina's mother. Katarina's mother would later die under suspicious circumstances. Military Career Joining the Dragoons When the Dozen Years War broke out in 601, Caius decided to join the Royal Tierran army, believing it to be the task he was most suited for due to his martial proficiency. The Duke of Cunaris was in debt to the Earl of Leoniscourt, which the Earl used as leverage to get Caius a Cornet commission in the Royal Dragoon Regiment, making Caius the first Baneless to hold an officer's commission in the Tierran army. The Earl of Leoniscourt also gave him an allowance of 2,000 crowns a year. During his time as a Cornet at Fernandescourt, Caius quickly distinguished himself, proving to be the best fighter among all the other Cornets. When he wasn't training or maintaining his equipment, he was praying to the Saints at Fernandescourt's Shrine. Due to his Deathborn status and his rude demeanor, he was snubbed by other officers, such as Davis d'al Elson and possibly the Dragoon Officer. However, his skills had not gone unnoticed, and he was selected by Captain Montez to lead a mock charge. If the charge went well, then Cazarosta would have been given a brevet promotion to Lieutenant for the duration of the war. Unfortunately, it did not. During the charge, Elson fell from his horse. With his foot caught in the stirrup, his unconscious body was dragged across the field. What happens next is up to the Dragoon Officer. If the Protagonist successfully intervenes to save Elson, then Caius is denied his promotion - either because the charge failed, or because the men who decided such things were deadlocked on whether they should promote the Dragoon Officer instead. If the Protagonist fails to save Elson, then Caius receives his promotion. Onboard the HMS Victorious Cazarosta is sent to Antar shortly afterward, onboard the HMS Victorious, sharing a cabin with Elson and the Dragoon Officer. During the voyage, Captain Walken made the decision to engage an Antari merchant ship. A boarding party of Royal Marines was selected, led by a Sergeant, and the Dragoons were given permission to join the action. As a commissioned officer, Cazarosta attempted to take command, and once again the Dragoon Officer has the chance to intervene. If the Dragoon Officer is on good terms with Cazarosta and attempts to take command as well, then Cazarosta will withdraw his bid and support the player instead (unless Cazarosta is already a brevet Lieutenant, in which case Cazarosta takes command no matter what.) Otherwise, the Dragoon Officer must convince the Sergeant using his personal charisma, and if he fails the Sergeant will instead choose Caius, in recognition of his superior soldiering skills. If Cazarosta is allowed to command the boarding party, he will fail to detect the banefire trap due to his lack of banesense, resulting in the deaths of the Sergeant and several of the Marines. Despite this initial failure, he is able to successfully salvage the situation and capture the enemy ship. If the protagonist interrupted the mock charge earlier in the story, then Caius will use the opportunity to attempt to murder him, by cutting a cable to knock him overboard with a swinging crate. Afterward, Walken summons Cazarosta, Montez, Elson, and the Dragoon Officer to a meeting, where he berates Cazarosta for the loss of the Marines. If Cazarosta is a brevet Lieutenant at this point, he is demoted back to Cornet, and is nearly thrown out of service. Cazarosta later receives a share of the prize money for his role in capturing the Antari ship. Arrival in Antar Cazarosta arrived safely in Antar, at the town of Noringia. If he is on good terms with the player, he will take the time to explain that their squadron will most likely be split apart for patrol duty, and takes the time to say farewell. Unlike the rest of the officers who were given lodging within the town's walls, Cazarosta is instead assigned a tent among the enlisted men; most likely a deliberate slight due to his deathborn heritage. Cazarosta will then go on to select Solhammond Lanzeral as his Sergeant, if the Dragoon Officer does not do so first. Early Service Very little is known about Cazarosta's service in the early years of the war, other than that he somehow managed to to secure a promotion to Lieutenant in the year 604, along with a Gryphon of Rendower, due to his actions in an unknown battle. He was given command of 2nd Troop of 3rd Squadron, under Captain Montez, and was "repeatedly reprimanded for fraternization with common ranks." At some point he became a mentor to Arturo d'al Hawkins, a Cornet placed under his command. He was also personally reprimanded by the Duke of Wulfram in year 606, though it is unknown what caused this. After the death of Captain Montez, Elson took command of 3rd Squadron, and Cazarosta was dispatched to secure an Antari shrine which was to be used as a temporary outpost against an Antari warband. Cazarosta then proceeded to desecrate the Shrine, destroying the statues of every Antari Saint along with the Mother of Ascension, before sending men out to scout the surrounding area. Captain Elson arrived at the outpost and was horrified at the Shrine's desecration. At the same time, Cazarosta was also reunited with the Dragoon Officer, whose troop was assigned to 3rd Squadron to serve as reinforcements. A staff meeting was then held, where Elson proposed a plan to deal with the Antari force. While the bulk of the Squadron charged the Antari head on, a single troop would circle around them and burn the camp, forcing the Antari to withdraw. Cazarosta objected, and proposed a plan of his own: a single troop would sneak across a secret ford discovered by his scouts, and attack the Antari camp at night. The rest of the Squadron would dismount and ambush the Antari as they fled. A debate ensued, which wound up being a deadlock, and both men turned to the Dragoon Officer to serve as a tie-breaker. If Elson's plan is chosen, then Cazarosta will view the protagonist as an enemy. Either way, depending on how the battle goes, Cazarosta can potentially receive a Meritous Service Order award alongside Elson and the Dragoon Officer. The Battle of Blogia Cazarosta spent most of the battle with the rest of the regiment, observing from afar at Castle Blogia. There, he once again demonstrated his tactical aptitude, successfully deducing why the Antari decided to fire into their own men, and also predicting Wulfram's cavalry charge against the Hussar. Later, when the rest of the regiment rode off to join the battle, Elson ordered Cazarosta to remain behind and guard the castle, and the Dragoon Officer has the option to volunteer to stay with him. If the Dragoon Officer remains at the castle, Cazarosta requests to take command of both troops. The protagonist can object, but if he fails to successfully convince Cazarosta why a joint command would be superior, then Cazarosta will take command anyway. Major Keane then arrives to report that Havenport has taken command of the army, and the Dragoons still at the castle have permission to either withdraw or hold position at their own discretion. Cazarosta insists on holding position, as the castle is the only obstacle preventing the Antari light cavalry from attacking Havenport's brigade in the flank. Wittelbrook later arrived with a full troop, claiming to be a messenger. Cazarosta saw through the lie and accused Wittelbrook of desertion. If the Dragoon Officer fails to defuse the situation, either by allowing Wittelbrook to flee or successfully convincing Wittelbrook or his men to stand and fight at the castle, Cazarosta will execute Wittelbrook and take command of his men. Castle Blogia was then attacked by a large force of Antari light cavalry, that had disengaged itself from the Death Ride of the Dragoons and gone on to attack the Castle directly. The Dragoons at the castle successfully held the position, but just as they ran out of ammunition the Antari sent a dozen hussars to finish them off. The Dragoons managed to fight these foes off as well, but took heavy casualties. Cazarosta himself was grazed in the face by a baneruned warhammer, destroying his left eye and horrifically burning his cheek. If the Dragoon Officer loses a fight against a Hussar, Cazarosta will intervene and rescue him. However, if the protagonist has made Cazarosta an enemy, then Cazarosta will murder him afterward. Otherwise, Caius will force the protagonist to rejoin the fight despite any injuries. Despite losing the majority of his men, Cazarosta was still determined to hold the Castle, callously suggesting they use the dead bodies of both the Antari and the Tierrans to reinforce the barricades. Before he could do so, Major Keane arrived to report that the Tierran army had successfully executed a fighting retreat, and the surviving Dragoons now had leave to withdraw. Promotion to Captain The banehealers were able to regrow Cazarosta's eye and treat his burn, but his left cheek would remain permanently scarred. As a reward for his efforts at Blogia, King Miguel personally knighted him into the Order of Saint Joshua (possibly making him the first Baneless Knight) and promoted him to Captain of 3rd Squadron, because Elson was missing-in-action. Hawkins was promoted to Lieutenant at the same time, and became his second-in-command. Despite the King's recognition of his service, Sir Caius remained a social pariah. Although a squadron of Dragoons normally held two hundred men, Caius was only given half that, and even then many of them were missing weapons and horses, forcing Caius to outfit them with his own funds. He was never given the banehardened armour he was entitled to as a Knight of the Red, and never received any ransom payments that were owed to him. Most importantly, further promotion was nearly impossible, as the Duke of Cunaris and Grenadier Square would never allow a Major commission to be sold to a deathborn. In attempt to resolve the issues with his command as quickly as possible, Cazarosta immediately volunteered for active duty, forcing his men to either adapt or die. At the same time, he also took to leading by example: he ate the same rations as the enlisted men, slept in the same quarters as them, and drilled alongside them. This allowed him to earn their undying loyalty despite his harsh measures. It was not without drawbacks, however; every officer except Hawkins either died or transferred out, and his already under-strength squadron dwindled even further. The "activie duties" he volunteered for were partisan hunts, along the road between Noringia and Kharangia. He embarked on these hunts with a ruthless efficiency. At some point he became an associate of Victor d'al Reyes, Major of the Experimental Corps, who had been given similar tasks. The First Battle of Kharangia In the Summer of 609, when Havenport's new artillery finally breached the walls of Kharangia, an assault was prepared, and a call was sent for volunteers to join a Forlorn Hope, promising a free promotion to the officer who led it, regardless of seniority or station. Recognizing this as his only opportunity for advancement, Sir Caius put his name forward. The Dragoon Officer also has the option to volunteer, but can instead propose to Havenport that they both take part. If Cazarosta is allowed to participate, he will survive despite facing banetraps and cannonfire, but will not receive his promotion to Major until after the Dragoon Officer receives a promotion as well. If Cazarosta and the Dragoon Officer led the Forlorn Hope together, then his promotion is dated exactly one day after the protagonist's. If the Dragoon Officer does not seek promotion at all, or leads the Forlorn Hope without allowing Caius to join, then Caius will remain a Captain. Afterward, Cazarosta will remain in Kharangia, and continued to hunt partisans. The Hunt for Strellyk In the Winter of 610, Cazarosta was given orders by Royal Tierran Intelligence to hunt down and kill Strellyk, a notorious Antari partisan and marksman who had attacked and massacred several Tierran caravans. Cazarosta can potentially invite the Dragoon Officer to accompany him. It is revealed that, between the Forlorn Hope and losses sustained during various partisan hunts, Cazarosta's squadron is down to a mere fifty men, and he had not requested any replacements. Cazarosta's plan to kill Strellyk was simple, but ruthless. He advanced on Strellyk's home village, the location of which had been provided to him by Royal Tierran Intelligence. The local partisans, upon finding out about his approach, armed themselves and took position in the woods - exactly as Cazarosta planned. Cazarosta then sent Hawkins forward to attack the village populace, killing civilians until they all fled into he main hall. The partisans began to shoot at Hawkins's men, but Hawkins ignored them; barricading the hall and lighting it on fire, before withdrawing to rejoin the rest of the squadron. Strellyk and his men immediately abandoned their positions and rushed into the village, in an attempt to free their families trapped inside the burning hall. Cazarosta had planned for this as well. As Strellyk was tearing down the barricade, Cazarosta decided to test the Dragoon Officer's ruthlessness; he gave the protagonist a carbine, and told him to to take the shot. Strellyk is then shot in the back by either Cazarosta or the Dragoon Officer, depending on player choice, before Cazarosta orders his squadron to execute the remaining partisans. After the partisans were dealt with, Cazarosta withdrew from the village, leaving the civilians to burn. The Second Battle of Kharangia During the Second Battle of Kharangia, Cazarosta was assigned as a cavalry reserve unit to Cunaris's brigade. His role in the battle is ultimately up to player choice, as the Dragoon Officer is made his commander. Once again, Cazarosta can potentially try to murder the Dragoon Officer. If the protagonist orders 3rd Squadron to dismount and reinforce the 5th of Foot while 6th Squadron charges into the Antari flank. Cazarosta will fire into the Dragoon Officer's squadron, with the hope that a stray shot will kill the protagonist and it will be dismissed as a friendly fire accident. If the Dragoon Officer is not present at the Second Battle of Kharangia, then Cazarosta is placed under an unknown cavalry commander from a different regiment instead. The End of the War Cazarosta presumably spent the remainder of the war scouting, skirmishing, raiding, and hunting more partisans. He received no further promotions or opportunities to distinguish himself, and eventually the war ended. He chose to remain with the army during peacetime, and was made Regimental Quartermaster. Hawkins was promoted to Captain, and replaced Cazarosta as commander of 3rd Squadron. Quotes "You ask why I 'chose' to do this or 'chose' to do that, when in fact, choice does not enter into the matter at all. The Saints create us for a purpose. Each of us is a part in their great machine, and we have no choice but to do what we were made to do. This what drives us to our actions, our functions within workings which we have no concept of, to a purpose which we shall never know in this life or the next. Our purpose for existence is to fulfil our parts and await whatever is planned as our fate after. ... "We are sabres in the hands of infinity, Ortiga, to move and act as we are bid. The fact that we sometimes have second thoughts in the obeying gives us the delusion that we have some ability to determine our fates, that we are born with a freedom to choose our actions: to be kind or cruel, good or evil. That is mankind's most glorious and beautiful dream, but it is a delusion nonetheless."